Lions hire Ron Prince as assistant head coach/tight ends coach

Lions head coach Jim Caldwell is familiar with Prince, who was with him in Indianapolis as an assistant offensive line coach from 2010-11

The first new addition to Jim Caldwell’s offensive coaching staff is Ron Prince. The team hired Teryl Austin (defensive coordinator) and Bill Sheridan (linebackers) on Friday.

Ron Prince as head coach at Kansas State (Photo: AP Images)

Prince comes over from Rutgers, where he was the offensive coordinator for the Scarlet Knights this past season. He’ll be the Lions assistant head coach/tight ends coach.

Caldwell is very familiar with Prince. The two were together in Indianapolis in 2010 and 2011 when Caldwell was the head coach and Prince an assistant offensive line coach. He was let go when Chuck Pagano replaced the coaching staff in Indianapolis in 2012.

Prince went to Rutgers after serving as assistant offensive line coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2012.

He was also the head coach at Kansas State from 2006-08 and is well respected in NFL circles.

Part of his job is tight ends coach, which means Bobby Johnson, who was the tight ends coach last season, will move over and become the assistant offensive line coach under Jeremiah Washburn.